Cast your mind back to the past twenty years and hardly did anyone have their own email account. The Internet had just taken off in 1991 and people were only using office and PCbased email exchanges.
In the mid 1990s external email providers appeared. The most famous of these was Hotmail, the first free email provider and webbased email service. Sabeer Bhatia and Jack Smith launched Hotmail on July 4, 1996. And Microsoft took note of and bought Hotmail for $400 million on December 30, 1997, a nice birthday present for Bhatia who turned 29 that day. It was relaunched as MSN Hotmail and in 2007 was relaunched again as Windows Live Hotmail.
Fast forward the present day and most of us have at least a personal webbased email account. It seems impossible to live without them. One of the biggest advantages of email is the fact that communication has become so much easier, especially with those across different time zones. Email takes seconds to send a message whereas letters, as we used to communicate by, could take weeks. Of course there was the fax, that beeping invention from the 1980s, but it wasn’t as secure as email and you never knew if the person on the other end had picked up your fax or if it had got lost somewhere in the office.
In conclusion, one of the best inventions from the 1990s has to be email. But sometimes people are too closely connected to their email and have a compulsion to check it several times a day. At work, people have become lazy and instead of going to speak to the person sitting next to them, they send an email，causing an in box to pile up with more time spent reading email and responding rather than working. Clearly, an invention that saved time because of its quick and speedy connection can now also cause us to waste a lot of time.The earliest web-based email came into being probably _______.
| A．in 1991 | B．in 1996 | C．in 1997 | D．in 2007 |
The author mentions “fax” in the third paragraph in order to tell us that _______.
| A．it is exactly as good as email |
| B．it is much better than email |
| C．it is less convenient than email |
| D．it is easier and faster than email |
The underlined word “compulsion” in Paragraph 4 probably means “_______”.
| A．strong desire | B．common sense | C．special curiosity | D．general idea |
Which is the main idea of the last paragraph?
| A．We should check email boxes frequently. |
| B．Lazy people like sending an email. |
| C．Email brings us great convenience. |
| D．Good inventions also cause problems. |
Travelling around the world with children is difficult enough, but attempting it without using motorized transport is even more of challenge. But Dario Schworer, a 42-year-old climatologist and mountain guide, and his 33-year-old wife Sabine are on a journey to do just that.
The Swiss couple want to travel across the world’s oceans and climb the highest mountain on every continent to promote Earth-friendly ways of life.
“We are collecting good examples of dealing with climate change and living in harmony with nature and we want to spread such ideas,” Schworer said. “We want to help people affected by global warming and to inspire children for the future.”
Recently after having spent three months teaching children in the Everest region, the couple want to show it is possible to travel through as the world’s climate zones using just human-power and forces of nature.
In the 47 countries they have visited so far they have collected 22 tons of trash, taught people in Ecuador how the sun’s rays can be used to clean water and inspired a person in Chile to build a house on water with recycled plastic bottles as a foundation. They have also collected trash in the mountains of Nepal with school children.
So far they have communicated with 45,000 children from South America, Australia and Asia, giving presentations about the importance of recycling and using alternative energy like solar and wind power.
“We need to motivate children,” said Sabine.
When they began their adventure in 2003 they had no children of their own. But since then two has become five: daughter Sabine is now five years old, Andri was born in Chile and baby Noe was born in Australia.
Initially the couple thought they would complete their travels in four years, but now, seven years later, they believe it could take seven more.
“Since our belief is the need to respect nature, we travel only when conditions are good,” Schworer said.Why do the Swiss couple travel around the world?
| A．To inspire their children for the future. |
| B．To prove a travel without motorized transport. |
| C．To explore the secret of global warming. |
| D．To promote Earth-friendly ways of life. |
They did a lot during the travel except ________.
| A．build a house with recycled plastic bottles |
| B．collect rubbish and waste |
| C．communicate with local children |
| D．show people how to use energy |
What’s the meaning of the underlined word “Initially”?
| A．In the end | B．In a way | C．At the beginning | D．On the whole |
The best title of the passage can be ________.
| A．A Swiss family’ journey across the world |
| B．An eco-friendly adventure across the world |
| C．We have a long way to make a good travel |
| D．Nature needs respecting and protecting |
B
| 1. Six Hours Free Parking If you spend $ 100 or more in our stores you will receive six hours of free parking. When you have spent $100 or more, just take this coupon and your receipt to the customer service desk on level 4. They will stamp your parking ticket to allow 6 hours of free parking. Offer here until November 14. |
| 2. Win a $1000 CD Collection Win your choice of $1000 worth of CDs from JB Music Store. Just buy any two CDs and your name will go into the competition. Select your own prize from our wide variety of rock, pop, jazz and classical music. Competition ends November 14. Prize drawn on November 21. Check store for more information. |
| 3. Buy One, Get One Free Buy one shirt or tie at Daniel’s Menswear, and get another shirt or tie of the same value free. Choose from any of our dress shirts and we will give you another one at no cost. Hurry! Offer ends November 14. Offer limited to one per customer. |
| 4. 10% Off Present this coupon at The Book Store to get a 10% discount on any books you buy. We have lots of books to choose from, including children’s books, novels, travel guides, and science works. You are sure to find something that you will enjoy. Shop now for Christmas, we have a large quantity of toys as gifts for you and avoid the rush! Offer here until November 14. |
| 5. Half-price Movie Tickets Buy any full-price movie ticket on Tuesdays or Wednesdays, and you can buy a second ticket for a friend for only half price. The latest movies are here, being shown in one of our five theaters at Bayfield Shopping Center. Offer here through December 1, Limit on per customer. |
| 6. Free Soft Drink Buy any meal for at least $6 at Mike’s Café, and receive a free soft drink. We serve the best food in the Shopping Center. Come in and try our delicious meals and our excellent service. You won’t be disappointed! Free soft drink offer ends November 14. |
What are these ads for?
| A．Food you can order for delivery. | B．Places to go on vacation. |
| C．Things on sale in a big store. | D．Special offers at a shopping center. |
Which of the following is true according to the ads?
| A．Spending $50 means 3 hours of free parking. |
| B．One person can buy 5 tickets for the price of three. |
| C．At Mike’s Café, people can get a free drink after spending $6. |
| D．After buying two CDs, you can get another two CDs for free. |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned at this mall?
| A．Toy store. | B．Music store. | C．Restaurant. | D．Clothes store. |
We can know from this passage ________.
| A．you won’t get a free soft drink unless you spend more than 10 dollars on the meal. |
| B．if you buy a book there, you may pay less than half the price. |
| C．you may get a free one if you buy a shirt, or a tie, or a pair of shoes. |
| D．there is more than one theater in the center. |
A gentle breeze blew through Jennifer’s hair. The golden red sun was setting. She was on the beach, looking up at the fiery （火红的） ball. She was amazed by its color, deep red in the middle, softly fading into yellow. She could hear nothing but the waves and the seagulls flying up above in the sky.
The atmosphere relaxed her. After all she had been through, this was what she needed. “It’s getting late,” she thought, “I must go home. My parents will be wondering where I am.”
She wondered how her parents would react, when she got home after the three days she was missing. She kept on walking, directing herself where she spent every summer holiday. The road was deserted. She walked slowly and silently. Just in a few hundred meters she would have been safe in her house.
It was really getting dark now. The sun had set a few minutes before and it was getting cold, too. She wished she had her favorite sweater on— it kept her really warm. She imagined having it with her. This thought disappeared when she finally saw her front door. It seemed different. Nobody had taken care of the outside garden for a few days. She was shocked: her father was usually so strict about keeping everything clean and tidy, and now... It all seemed deserted. She couldn’t understand what was going on.
She entered the house. First, she went into the kitchen where she saw a note written by her father. It said, “Ellen, there is some coffee ready. I went looking.” Ellen was her mother but — where was she? On the right side of the hallway was her parents’ room. She went in. Then she saw her. Her mother, lying on the bed, was sleeping. Her face looked so tired, as if she hadn’t slept for days. She was really pale. Jennifer would have wanted to wake her up but she looked too tired. So Jennifer just fell asleep beside her. When Jennifer woke up, something was different... she wasn’t in her mother’s room and she wasn’t wearing the old clothes she ran away in. She was in her snug bed in her pajamas （睡衣）.
It felt so good being back home. Suddenly she heard a voice, “Are you feeling better now? You know you got us very, very scared.”What does “This thought” in the fourth paragraph refer to?
| A．The feeling of being warm in her favorite sweater. |
| B．Her worry about her parents. |
| C．The idea of going back home. |
| D．The feeling of getting back home safely. |
Her father didn’t take care of the garden because _______.
| A．he had to look after his wife |
| B．he was busy looking for her |
| C．he was not strict in his job |
| D．he no longer enjoyed working there |
How did Jennifer probably feel when she came back home?
a. worried b. crazy c. tired d. disappointed e. shocked f. excited
| A．a, c, e | B．a, b, c | C．b, c, e | D．d, e, f |
What can we conclude from this passage?
| A．In fact Jennifer’s mother had been sick for days. |
| B．As Jennifer walked towards home, she became increasingly scared. |
| C．Having experienced a lot outside, Jennifer felt home was really warm and safe for her. |
| D．When she found the garden deserted, she realized she got cross. |
With your workload growing, you may be telling yourself a vacation is one luxury you can’t afford. A vacation allows you the opportunity to recharge your physical and motional batteries, disconnect from everyday concerns, and return to work rested and refreshed. Some facts have proved employees are more productive after a vacation than before one. Here are some tips for you to plan your vacation to make sure that your time away from the office is worry free.
Time is right. A Robert Half survey shows that July and August are the most favorable months for employees to take a break because these months offer ideal beach weather and many businesses slow down during this time. For instance, if a big task is planned for the summer, you may consider postponing your trip until the fall.
Ask others for assistance. Your supervisor can help you determine who is the most qualified for a particular task.
Let your contacts know. Give colleagues and customers you frequently work with a few weeks’ notice before you start off.
Conduct a technical review. Before you leave, make sure there is plenty of room in your e-mail inbox so you don’t exceed (超越) your storage limit while you’re out of the office, which might prevent you from sending messages when you return.
In short, taking vacation is necessary and beneficial for your job. But you must plan your vacation properly in order to work free and worry free on holiday.
| A．Ask trusted colleagues to handle your projects while you’re away. |
| B．A summertime beach vacation includes so much more than what you desire these days. |
| C．But the truth is that you can’t afford not to take one. |
| D．This will give them enough time to plan for your absence. |
E. Also make sure passwords won’t expire(期满) while you are away.
F. What’s more, find your pet a temporary home when you are on vacation.
G. When planning your vacation, remember to take into account any activity that your department will be focused on during that time.
Forest guards in western India are using cell phones with ringtones of cows mooing, goats bleating and roosters crowing to attract leopards that have wandered into human settlements, officials said on Monday.
The wild cats in the state of Gujarat often get into villages near forests in search of food, say officials, adding that this results in attacks on people. But rather than use methods such as live bait(诱惑物) like goats tied to trees to lure the leopards, which then fall into large pits dug by guards, officials say they have found a safer method to trap the cats.
“The moos of a cow, bleating of a goat from the phone has proved effective to trap leopards,” said D. Vasani, a senior forest official in Gujarat. “This trick works.” Vasani said forest guards have downloaded the sounds of over a dozen animals as ringtones on their mobiles which they attach to speakers and fix behind a cage. They then play the ringtone continuously for up to two hours until the curious leopard appears and moves into the cage looking for its easy meal.
At least five leopards have so far been lured from villages since the new ringtone method was introduced three months ago. The cats have all been released back into forest areas.
Wildlife activists welcomed the new initiative saying that previous methods of trapping the cats using pits often resulted in the animals getting injured. What can be the best title of the passage?
| A．Cell Phones to Hunt Animals |
| B．Practical Uses of Cell Phones |
| C．Wildlife and New Technology |
| D．Phone Ringtones to Catch Leopards |
Forest guards in India try to catch leopards mainly because ______.
| A．leopards attack villagers |
| B．they want leopard fur |
| C．leopards attack animals |
| D．they have new ringtones |
What will be needed to trap the leopards using the new method?
① cell phones ②animals ③ sounds of animals ④ cages ⑤large pits
| A．①②③④ | B．①③④ | C．①④⑤ | D．②③⑤ |
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